Light-circuit controller for automobiles.



A. A. LEUPOLD.

LIGHT CIRCUIT CONTROLLER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, I918 1 2391 94% Patented Jun. 21,1919.

J4. ZL L. i L J6 01 V .W 3 (176125. 10 iii {L T/VUM SwircH #070774 E 00 HF av /m5 DWI/0V5 Ems 5171970,? B.

il llli El? LEG'ET-CIRQUIT CGNTELULLER Specification of Letters Patent.

ilpplieation filed February 18, 1918. lt'e. 217,881.

distribution employed in connection withan automobile to supply the incandescent "l w l J' L lamps used ror the headlights, and has for l'llSOlfJjQCl? the provision of means in the cir- .cuit to one of the lamps for gradually reducing the flow of current thereto as the speed of the magneto increasesfrom a low point to a predetermined high point so that the current to the other lamp will furnish a more brilliant light than if an equal distribution were made to both lamps, and in cluding means for short circuiting the resistance when said magneto is running beyondthe predetermined high point of speed.

it is well lmown that in a Ford automohile the electric current generated by the magneto in addition to furnishing the nec-' essary spark "for the explosive charge in the is also employed to supply the curto tie incandescent lamps used as the eadlights; but as the current generated by the magneto is limited according to the varying speed of said magneto and engine driving it the lorilliancy of the lights varies accordingly-being rather dim when the en gine and magneto are running at low speed and brighter as the speed increases. Therefore, with this system 01": lighting, when the automohileis running at comparatively low speed the light furnished by the distribution of the current to the two lamps is not suilicient to properly light up the roadway, the required hrilliancy of the said lamps being attained only when the automobile is running at comparatively high speed and consequently the speed of the magneto is suite cient to supply a normal amount of current. in order to remedy this disadvantage in the lighting circuit of a Ford automobile it has been proposed to cut out one of the lamps until the automobile engine and magneto reach a predetermined high speed, so as to divert all of the lighting current from the magneto to a single lamp; but this arrange ment is objectionable in those instances where in the operation oi an automobile, it

is required that both headl' during the running of the an order to comply with this requi at the same time provide a more on light in the lamp of one of the he" during the running" of the engine note at comparatively low speed, i. introducing into the circuit of the lamps controller of particular construction which will gradually cut down the on rent to this lamp as the output from the ma increases and allow the current to freely to the other lamp, and which w also equally distribute the current to ho lamps by short circuiting the controll and above a predetermined; high speed of the engine and magneto.

The arrangement and opera-t n of my proved'lanip control circuits or lighti no L system for Ford automobiles, includi construction and operation of the centre is fully disclosed in the following spec tions, and what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure hy Letters-Patent, is stated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing":

Figure l is a diagrammatical view illustrating my improved system or" distribution for lamp control circuits.

2 is a plan View or" the co cated in the circuit of one of the Fig. 3 is a side view of said conti l is a vertical longitudinal sectional View or" the controller, and

0x 5 is a detail view, hereinafter ierred to.

Like numerals of reference indicate lilre parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the diagrammatical view on 1), showing the lighting circuits for the headlights of a Ford automobile, A" designate the two headlights, the magneto, and C the switch, these appliances be ing of the ordinary construction and forming part of the equipment of this automobile. In connection with pliances l employ in the pres controller and rearrange the circui s from the magneto to the lamps so th controller will be located in the circuit to one of the lamps to reduce the r rent thereto and allow a normal other lamp under certain runni g tions of the magneto and its consee ited output or" current, as will herelnar fully explained.

Q menses In carrying out my improvements in the lighting circuits one of the lamps, preferably that at the left-hand side of the automobile and designated A in the drawing, is connected directly to the magneto through the switch by means of a wire 10 from said magneto to the switch-point c, and from switch-point 0 by wire 11 to said lamp; while the circuit from the switch-point c to theother lamp A includes the controller D, the connections being by wire 12 from switch-point c to the controller, and by wire 13 from said controller to the lamp. lhe circuit of each lamp is grounded by a wire, as it.

In the present instance the controller consists of a resistance coil 15 connected to the wire 13, and a conductor 16 slidable over the same and connected to the wire 12, said conductor being operated by a lever 17 so that as it is moved back and forth over the resistance coil it will increase and diminish the number of windings and consequently the amount of resistance between the conductor and wire connection 13 to the lamp. To operate this conductor I make use of the throttle-lever, as 17, (Fig. 2), so that as the throttle is opened to increase the speed of the engine and correspondingly increase the current output of the magneto driven by said engine the number of resistance-windings in the circuit described will be gradually increased as the current from the magneto increases making a distribution that will reduce the current to the lamp A and supply normal current to the lamp A; in

other words, the lamp A will be kept dim v by increasing the amount of resistance as the current output from the magneto in creases, and current supplied to lamp A-to produce a normal brilliancy in this lamp that will more efi'ectively light the roadway than if the current was equally distributed to the two lamps. I a

In order to make an equal distribution to both lamps when the current generated, by the magneto is suflicient' to produce brilliant lights in the two lamps, as when the engine which operates the magneto is running to drive the automobile at or beyond a certain predetermined speed, say 15 miles an hour,

I provide for cutting out the resistance coil by locating a post or contact 18 at the outer end of the resistance-coil and in the path of a member of. the sliding conductor, connecting said post to the wire 13 by a short wire 19. Now when the conductor is in contact with this post the circuit to lamp A will be from switch-point a by wire 12 to conductor 16, to saidpost 18,. and by wire 19 to wire 13-extending to the lamp. v

The controller may be of any approved construction, but that herein shown is preferred in'that it is simple in construction and effective in operation; consisting of a cylinder 20 around which ",the resistance wire 15 is wound and provided at its ends with heads 21 and 22 through which one member, as 16, of the conductor 16 passes to support the latter in slidable engagement with said cylinder and so that the contact member 1h may travel back and forth over the resistance coil to and from the post or contact-member 18. The cylinder is connected to a supporting-base 23, which is a plate from which lips 23 and 23 are struck up to receive the cylinder between them, said lips being suitably secured to the heads of the cylinder but insulated therefrom. As will be noted the conductor 16 is U-shape to provide the parallel members 16 and 16 and connecting member 16, against which latter the throttle lever 17 bears, and in order that said conductor may follow the throttle-lever 17, as the latter is moved away from the controller, the conductor is projected by means of an expansion spring 24, located in the cylinder and interposed between the rear head 22 and lugs 25 on the supporting-member 16 of the conductor. For attaching this device to the frame of an automobile in such position as to locate the slidable conductor roperly with respect to the throttle-lever 1 a block 26 is secured beneath the forward end. of the supportingbase or plate 23 and a bolt-opening 27 provided near the other end of the plate; said bolt-opening in the present instance being in the form of a slot so that any required adjustment of the device may be made. Of course the head 21 of the cylinder is made of suitable material which will conduct the current from the connection of the wire 12 at the outer edge thereof to the conductor 16 by way of the member 16'- thercoI" which is in slid-able contact with the aforesaid head 21; suitable insulatipn being provided be tween the cross-bar 16 and the throttle lever, and, also, the said head, as well as the resistance-wire are suitably insulated from the plate 23 forming the supportingbase; and, furthermore, in order to prevent premature contactbetween the contact-member 16 of the conductor and the post 18, either the inner side of said post or adjacent side of the contact-member may be, and preferably is, provided with a strip of insulating material, or both so provided as indicated in Fig. 5. These are merely details of construction which may be changed .or modified as may be desired or found more suitable, and, likewise, other changes may be made in the form or arrangement of the parts 01'- the controller within the spirit and scope or my invention and claims.

The construction, operation and practical Bil the accompanying drawings; for although both lamps of the headlights are supplied with current all the while the magneto is running and generating current the controller will gradually reduce the current to one of the lamps during the running of said magneto from a very low speedas for instance an automobile speed of four miles an hour-to keep up normal brilliancy in the other lamp until the speed of the magneto is sufiicient to furnish a normal amount of current to both lampsas when the automobile is running at a speed of fifteen miles an hour-at which the sliding conductor 16 short circuits the controller D distributing the current to both lamps. in other words, when the speed of the automobile is very low the current distribution is even to keep both lamps lightedthe conductor being in contact with the first winding of the resistance coiland as the speed of the automobile increases up to 15 miles an hour the lamp having this controller in its circuit will be kept as dim as when the automobile was operated at the verylow speed and the other lamp supplied with increasing current because it is more eiificient to have one lamp bright and the other dim than to distribute the current equally and have both somewhat dim; both lamps being supplied equally when a suiiicient speed is reached so that the resistance can be short circuited; the operation being ei'i ected through the medium of the throttlelever which of course may be adjusted with respect to the movement imparted thereby to the sliding conductor. The particular advantage of having both lamps burning all the time the magneto is running, instead oi cutting out one lamp entirely, as heretofore proposed, are of course so obvious as to not need any further explanation in this speciiication.

I claim:

1. In lighting circuits for automobiles, the combination with the magneto and headlights, of a circuit including one of the lamps, a circuit including the other lamp, and a controller in the circuit of one of the lamps comprising a resistance, a conductor slidable in connection therewith to increase and decrease the resistance up to a predetermined speed of the engine and magneto, a post with which the conductor contacts when moved beyond the point of maximum resistance to cut out the resistance in the circuit, and means for operating the conductor.

2. in lighting circuits for automobiles, the

combination with the magneto and headlights, of a circuit including one of the lamps, a circuit including the other lamp,

and a controller in one of the circuits comprising a resistance coil, a conductor having a contact member slidable over the coil to vary the number of windings in the circuit up to a predetermined speed of the engine and a controller in one of the circuits comprising a resistance-coil, a cylinder around which said coil is wound having opposite heads, a U-shaped conductor one member of which is supported slidably in the heads of the cylinder and the other member slidable a over the coils to increase and decrease the number of windingsin the circuit, and an operating lever engaging the cross-piece of the conductor to move the same.

4. In lighting circuits for automobiles,

the combination with the magneto and headlights, or" a circuit including one of the lamps, a circuit including the other lamp, and a controller in one of the circuits comprising a resistance-coil, a cylinder around which said coil is wound having opposite heads, a lo -shape conductor one member of which is supported slidably in the headset the cylinder and the other member slid-able overthe coils to increase and decrease the number or windings in the circuit, spring for moving the conductor in one direction, a lever for moving the said conductor in the other direction, and a contact-post which the conductor engages to cut out the resistance in said circuit.

5. An attachment for the lighting circuits of an automobile comprising a supportingbase, a cylinder mounted thereon and having opposite heads, a resistance wire wound around the cylinder, a id-shape conductor one member or" which is supported slidably in the cylinder and the other member slidable over the resistance-coil, a contact-point with which said conductor engages when moved in one direction, and a. spring for projecting the conductor in one direction.

ALFRED A. 

